“It’s going to be fine,” he whispered in my ear.
“Sure.” I nodded.
I wish I could believe that. I know he’s going to make a scene. And he’s going to tell. Years of protecting what I know, putting up with Ralph, dealing with Jaden, all to keep her secret—our secret—hidden. I’m throwing it all away. He’ll tell, and everyone will really know what happened that night. But Brody’s worth it. I hope he thinks the same of me when he knows the truth.
“Do you want to leave now? He knows. That was the main point of tonight, right? You got the message out. Everyone here is staring at us. We’re no doubt the topic of most conversations. People are watching us more than the game,” Brody said with a chuckle. “The bad boy steals the good girl from the star football player. Yeah, we’re big news. We don’t need to hang around.”
“I have to face him sooner or later.” I hated how my voice shook. I didn’t want to sound weak, but Jaden was one area in my life that I’d never been able to control. I’d always let him have control. It kept him happy, and he kept his mouth shut. I needed to stand up to him.
As soon as the game was over, one of Jaden’s closest friends and teammates made his way to the bleachers. “You’d better leave now, Willow.”
I looked over his shoulder and saw Jaden plowing his way toward Brody and me. His face was red with rage. A thick vein pulsed in the side of his neck. People got out of his way like he was Moses parting the Red Sea.
Too late.
“Thanks for the heads up.”
“Willow,” Jaden said, looking at Brody’s hand holding mine. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“We’re done, Jaden. Sorry you had to find out like this, but it’s over.”
“No, it’s over when I say it’s over,” Jaden said through clenched teeth. He looked at Brody. “If you want to keep that hand, I suggest you get it off my girl.”
“I don’t believe you can stake claim to her any longer. My hand’s gonna stay right where it is.” Brody narrowed his eyes at Jaden.
Jaden took a step toward Brody. Brody didn’t move.
“How long, Willow? How long have you been sleeping with this piece of shit?” Jaden spat.
“None of your business.”
“You’ve been seeing him while we’ve been together?”
I hesitated for a second. I knew if I answered truthfully, Jaden would destroy my reputation, but if I didn’t tell the truth, I’d risk hurting Brody. “Yes. We’ve been seeing each other.”
“You slut!” His hand darted out so fast that I didn’t have time to react. The pain sizzled across the side of my face, ricocheting through my head. I could feel where his class ring dug into my skin, warm liquid dribbling down my cheek. The impact ripped me away from Brody’s grasp and sent me tumbling across the bleachers, scraping the side of my face where it hit the grooved metal.
Jenna and Tim ran to me, helping me up. I looked up in time to see Brody charge Jaden. He slammed into him, sending them both flying across the bleachers.
“What’s the matter with you, Victor? You’re the one screwing her. If she’s gonna act like a whore, she’s gonna get treated like one,” Jaden shouted, standing up and wiping the dust off his uniform.
“I told you if you ever laid a hand on her, I’d end you,” Brody whispered through clenched teeth, shouldering Jaden.
Jaden barreled toward Brody. A group of his football buddies held him back. “He’s not worth it, man,” one told him.
“She’s definitely not worth it,” another said, looking at me like I wore a scarlet letter across my chest. Maybe I did. Maybe I deserved one.
Brody took a step toward Jaden. “Brody! Brody, stop!” I yelled, trying to get his attention.
He looked at me, and his face softened. “Let’s get you out of here and clean those cuts.” Reaching out, he wiped the blood off my face with the pad of his thumb. He looked over his shoulder at Jaden. “If I ever see you touch her again, I will make sure it’s the last thing you touch. You won’t always have your jughead friends to protect you.”
Well, that actually went better than I thought it would. I’m still alive.
Brody took me to his house to clean my cuts. When we drove up, a strange car was parked in the garage. He pulled next to it, killing the engine.
“Whose car is that?” I looked out of the window at the black sedan parked next to us in the immaculate garage.
“My mom’s.” Brody climbed out of the Jeep and came around to open my door.
I didn’t get out of the SUV. “I don’t think we should be here.”
“Why not?” Brody’s gaze didn’t waver from mine. His brows furrowed over his eyes.
“I don’t really want to meet your mom when I’m sporting a cut-up face.”
“My mom’s not like that. She’s cool. She’ll baby you the whole night.” He paused and lowered his gaze. “And, um, I’ve already told her about you.” His eyes traveled slowly up to meet mine. “Don’t be mad. I just wanted her to know in advance what your situation was if you ever needed a place to go.”
Tears pushed at the back of my eyes. I sniffed and cleared my throat. “And… um, and she was okay with everything?”
“She wasn’t okay that someone was hurting you, but she was very okay with you having a safe place to come if you needed one. Don’t worry, Willow. She’s going to love you.”
Brody lifted my hand and kissed the inside of my wrist, letting his mouth linger. Giant butterflies invaded my stomach. My arm tingled under his lips. They were soft and moist. I wanted them on my mine. My lips parted, and I sighed. Brody looked into my eyes and grinned against my skin.
He placed my hand in my lap and wrapped his hand behind my neck, leaning into me. My breath came in little gasps, and my heart did a free fall to my toes. I ran my tongue over my lips, leaning toward him. He kissed the space behind my earlobe. I sucked in a breath and threaded my hands through his hair, gripping his head to me.
“Mm, I love the way you smell,” he whispered in my ear. “Like raspberries.”
I closed my eyes and let his voice wash over me, concentrating on his mouth on my skin. I think I answered him. I was positive I didn’t use an actual word because at that moment, I couldn’t put two coherent words together. My lips ached for his. I tightened my hold in his hair and pulled his face to mine. His lips skimmed mine when he spoke, just a whisper of a caress, barely a touch at all.
“We need to go inside,” he murmured, reaching up and pulling my hands from his hair.
He pulled me gently from the Jeep and led me to the door. His mother had her back to us when we went inside. She sat on the large couch, watching television. She turned when she heard the door open.
“Brody, you’re home early—” She stopped abruptly when she saw me standing behind him. “Introduce me to your friend.”
She stood and walked toward us. Tall like her son, she shared his thick hair and color. Hers was cut in a short bob that was businesslike and feminine all at once. Slim, but curvy, and dressed in designer jeans and T-shirt, she looked almost like Brody’s older sister, or maybe an aunt, than his mother.
“Mom, this is Willow.”
“Hi, Willow,” she said with a smile.
“It’s nice meet you, Ms. Victor,” I said, trying to cover the gash on my check with my hair and standing behind Brody’s shoulder.
“Oh, call me Anne. Come on. Let’s get that cleaned up. Do I get to ask what happened? I’ll be honest, as long as I feel you aren’t in immediate danger, I won’t call the police or your parents.”
“My ex-boyfriend didn’t take the news that I was breaking up with him very well,” I said quietly, not meeting her eyes.
“Ah. Well, not to worry. We’ll get this taken care of. Brody, don’t just stand there, get Willow something to drink.”
“Sorry. Do you want a Coke?”
I nodded. “Thank you.”
Ms. Victor was incredibly nice. Brody was right; she did baby me the entire
time I was there. She didn’t ask too many questions. Occasionally, she’d slip a question or two in about Brody’s and my relationship. I let Brody handle those. I wasn’t sure how to answer them yet. At least not to his mother. Brody didn’t seem the least bit bothered by them.
“We’re dating. That’s why Willow broke it off with her ex.”
“I see. How long have you been dating?”
“Since tonight. We started out as friends, Mom. Willow broke up with her boyfriend when we decided we were crossing the friendship line. We officially started dating tonight. Right, Willow?” He took a drink of his Coke.
“Right, Ace. I mean, Brody.” I could feel my cheeks warm at my unintentional use of his nickname.
He smiled and threaded my fingers with his.
“Ace, huh? Do I want to know?”
I laughed. “Probably not. Let’s just say we weren’t a match made in heaven when we first met.”
“Brody gets that a lot,” his mother said and waved her hand in the air, dismissing the comment. “He comes off as arrogant.”
“That’s for sure. And judgmental,” I muttered.
“Hey, I’m in the room, you know?”
“Yes, dear, we know. Well,” Anne said with a sigh, gathering her Coke can and the shoes she’d flipped off at some point. “I’m tired. I’m going upstairs to read for a while. It was very nice to meet you, Willow. I hope I’ll be seeing more of you.”
“It was nice meeting you too, Ms. Victor.”
She squeezed my shoulder as she walked by. “Anne, remember?”
I smiled and nodded. Anne climbed the stairs, leaving Brody and me sitting on the couch, alone, in the great room. I suddenly became very nervous.
“So…” Brody let the word trail off and looked at me.
“Yeah.”
“You’ve met my family. My mom and my aunt. When do I meet yours?”
My heart sank. Everything around me slowed. I could hear my heart plodding along in my chest, squeezing blood out like a sponge. The ticking clock slowed. A second felt like a minute. Then, just as fast as time slowed, everything sped up and righted its self.
“My mom and stepdad are Jaden fans. It’s going take them a while to adjust to the break up and accept the fact that there’s a new guy in my life. I think we’re going to have to take it slow if we want them to be okay with us.”
Brody stared at me for what seemed like forever. I fought the urge to squirm under his gaze. “Is that the only reason?” he finally asked.
“What do you mean?” I paused. Then it clicked. “Yes! Do you think I’m embarrassed for you to meet my parents? That’s not even close. I’m not embarrassed by you. I’ll stand on the busiest corner of town and scream that I’m Brody Victor’s girlfriend if you want me to. I’m embarrassed by them. I know them and how they can be, especially Ralph.”
He didn’t say anything, just stared into my eyes, his bright blue ones boring into mine. Finally, a slow grin spread across his face. “You don’t need to scream. You can just wear a sign.”
I laughed. “Yeah, okay, I’ll get right on that.” I sighed and stood. “I need to go. I don’t want to be late for curfew.”
“Okay. How are you going explain your face to your mom?”
My hands stilled for just a moment as I gathered my things. I took a breath to steady myself and looked up at Brody. “It won’t matter. She’s used to it.” I could see his jaw clench. His hands opened and closed in fists. I took one of his hands in mine. “Hey, it’s okay.” I smiled at him.
He nodded once and tried to give me a smile, but it wasn’t one of his easy smiles that made my heart flutter and insides melt. It was forced. I reached up and brushed my hand over his cheek, wanting to wipe away the sadness and anger I saw in his expression. He turned his head and kissed my palm, making my knees feel like jelly and my breath hitch in my throat. Just a simple kiss caused my body to rage with emotions, and I didn’t want it to stop.
I could feel his breath quicken against my skin, and it made my heart beat faster. I took a step closer, nearly touching him. He laid his hand on my hip, gripping the waistband of my jeans in his fist. When he wrapped his other hand around my hair, I gasped at the shocks of electricity that sizzled through my body.
I looked into his eyes and watched them darken, his gaze locked on mine. It felt as if the world had stopped spinning. Everything was still, waiting for what came next. It was all I could do not to grab his shirtfront and yank him to me. My lips tingled with the need to feel his lips on them. My very core needed his closeness. It wasn’t just a kiss. It was so much more. Emotions were both confusing and all encompassing. I needed him, needed that connection, and I could tell by the way his eyes darkened and lips parted that he felt the same.
He lowered his head toward mine. My heart sang in my chest. But he didn’t kiss me. At least, not how I longed for him to. He gently placed an open-mouthed kiss on the curve of my neck, sucking at my skin ever so slightly. I moaned and ran my hand through his silky hair, opening and closing my fingers around the dark strands. He planted soft kisses up the side of my neck until he reached the sensitive area behind my ear. Kissing it gently, he let his tongue touch my skin, pulling another moan from my lips.
“I think I’m falling for you,” he whispered.
He lifted his head and looked into my eyes. I cupped his face with both my hands, rubbing my thumbs over his checks.
“I think we’re free falling together.”
He leaned his forehead against mine before lifting his head and kissing it. “I’d better get you home.” He pulled back slowly.
Oh. Holy. Hell.
I put a hand on my chest, trying to slow my breathing. My heart still fluttered. I took two deep breaths and let them out slowly to calm myself.
Jenna’s right. He’s turning my world upside down, and it feels friggin’ awesome.
Brody pulled up in front of my house, and ran around the Jeep to open the door for me. I still couldn’t get used to that.
He stood in front me, one hand on the side of the Jeep, the other on the door, blocking me in. “Are you free tomorrow?”
I tilted my head as though I was thinking and tsked. “I’ll have to check my schedule, Ace.”
“Oh, you have that many appointments, do you?” He stepped closer to me. His cologne swirled around me, invading my senses.
“I’m in demand, but if the right offer came along, I think I could make an exception.”
“I was thinking maybe we could go out, you know, on a real date. Maybe something boring like dinner and a movie.” His eyes held a question. Would I brave being seen with him after the nasty break up with Jaden and admitting that we’d been seeing each other while I was still dating him—would I go out with Brody when my reputation just got trashed because of our relationship?
“I thought you’d never ask.”
He blew out a breath and smiled. “You pick the movie. I’ll pick you up around four?”
“Okay, but I’m warning you, I’m going to pick a really cheesy chick-flick.”
He grinned. “I’ll watch anything with you as long as you wear one of your famous T-shirts for me.”
“Deal.”
We looked at each a few seconds, minutes, hours, who knew how long?
Just kiss me already! If you don’t kiss me soon, I’m going to spontaneously combust. Kiss me!
Finally, Brody let his arm drop from the Jeep’s door so I could pass. He grabbed my hand as I walked by and brought it to his mouth, kissing the inside of my wrist and sending fingers of longing through my body.
Damn it. Stop doing that and kiss me. Why won’t you kiss me? If you don’t do it soon, I won’t be held responsible for my actions. I’m gonna jump ya, and it’s not gonna be pretty… it’s gonna be pretty awesome.
“See you tomorrow.” My voice came out all breathy and soft.
He smirked. I think he loved torturing me. “I’ll text you later tonight. And probably tomorrow, too.”
“You’d better, Ace.”
I’d only been home an hour. I was locked in my bedroom, wondering if Jaden would call and break the news to my mom and Ralph. It’d be just like him to call, pretend to be upset, and ask to talk to me. When they’d ask him what was wrong—and they surely would because to them, he hung the moon—he’d tell them I’d broken up with him. And with that, world war three would begin.
I had no delusions that my mom and stepdad would ever accept my decision to break up with Jaden and date Brody. They’d never accept Brody. In my family’s mind, Jaden and I were as good as married. The news that our relationship was over was going to go over about as well as a fart in church.
We just had to get to graduation. Then I’d leave Jaden, my mom, and Ralph in Middleton while I went somewhere far, far away to college. There was just one problem. Where did that leave Brody and me?
My phone chimed, and I jumped. I really didn’t want to look at it. It could’ve been anyone texting to find out if the rumors of my break up were true. It could’ve been Jaden. That thought made me cringe. The only reason I looked was because it could’ve been Jenna or Tim. I smiled when I read the name.
Brody: Told you I’d text.
Me: Hey, Ace. Miss me already?
Brody: Always.
Me: I miss you.
Brody: Can’t wait for tomorrow.
Me: Me either.
Brody: Pick a really cheesy one.
Me: No doubt.
Brody: Goodnight, Willow.
Me: Night.
Jeez, I’m smiling like a fool. I’m already in so deep. Please don’t break my heart.
My phone chimed. I was still holding it and pushed the message button without looking to see who it was from.
Jenna: Rockin’ your world yet?
Me: Shut up.
Jenna: I’ll take that as a big yes.
I stood in front of my closet and looked at all my T-shirts. Never in my life had I picked out an outfit the night before, but I wanted to find just the right shirt to wear on my date—yes! A date—with Brody. I flipped through them and found a black one that said, I can’t wait to be ashamed of what I do this weekend. Shazam! That was the one. If that didn’t clue him in to the kissing thing, nothing would.
Unspeakable (Freedom Series Book 1) Page 21
